SLEEPER (Crossfire Series)

by Gennita Low

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “What’s he going to do to her?”

  T considered him for a long moment. “Suppose he asks for sexual favors from Lily? Are you going in there to stop this whole thing because of your sense of outrage?”

  “Lily would kick Johnny’s bloody ass first.”

  It was hard to have a conversation with so many women in his head. “Amber said—”

  “I’m wired, too,” T said with a smile. “I can hear what Amber says.”

  She leaned over, way too close. He suddenly realized she had covered the button mic with her thumb. “We don’t know how desperate Lily is,” T said quietly into his ear, “and whatever choices she’s making now isn’t any of your business. Johnny Chic will do what he’s agreed to do, but don’t expect sleaze like him to help us out by the book.”

  Reed covered T’s hand, and she didn’t resist him as he slid it off the button. “I understood the idea was to get her desperate enough to come to me,” he said, with emphasis, “not to get her so desperate that she would actually sell herself.”

  T smiled again, her red lips pouty and totally at odds with her words. “My assignment doesn’t include evaluating the target’s mind-set, darling. Yours does. So you keep what she does in mind as you decide whether to cancel her or not.”

  His hand tightened. “You’re playing with my head again. Stop putting suggestions in there.”

  “I think he’s onto your NOPAIN, T,” Nikki chimed in.

  “Just doing my job, darling,” T mocked. “Now, I just know that a Vincenzio dances very well. Did you know that the tango was a dance started in the brothels, signifying the intimacies of a whore and her pimp? Johnny Chic knows how to make fun of everyone in his own way. Shall we?”

  Reed let her lead him toward the dance floor. How much did she know about him? He couldn’t ask her anything while these damn recording pieces were on them.

  * * *

  It was much easier for Lily to come here than she’d anticipated. She didn’t think she would have been able to do it if she’d just been herself. The old Lily wouldn’t have walked through here without hurting someone. She really hated these places.

  However, tonight she was here for another reason. She tried not to look at the huge two-way mirror that filled up half the wall. Instead she concentrated on Johnny Chic.

  She had imagined Johnny to be some tall, fat slob sitting in some brothel, making his oily living doing illegal trading. Instead, a trim man with a small mustache greeted her from the desk. She couldn’t place a finger on his nationality. He looked very exotic, almost Asian, but not quite. When he stood up, he wasn’t very tall at all, maybe about five-three at the most.

  His eyes were too bold, as if he was imagining her naked, and she wanted to reach across the desk and grab him by his snazzy tie. Biting back a rude comment, she instead tried her best to smile.

  “You aren’t what I expected, Ambrosia,” Johnny said, his accent tinged with an Italian or South American flavor.

  Another thing for which to apologize to Amber. She’d used her friend’s code name to get Johnny’s attention. “Yeah well, vice versa,” Lily said.

  “Are you blond under that beautiful wig?” he asked.

  She chose not to give him an answer. She smiled again. “I’ve brought the cash for the passports.”

  “Oh yes, the transaction.” Johnny’s attention seemed to be fixed on the two-way mirror. He swayed to the muted music piped through the speakers. “Oh, but we have great dancers tonight. Look.”

  Lily gave the mirror an impatient glance. She wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible, but this was a different world than her usual transportation of kids over borders, and she had to play by the rules. It was a strange place, with too many weird people in here.

  There was a half circle around a couple who seemed to be in a world of their own as they danced to the rhythmic sway of whatever this music was. They were well matched—the man was holding the woman close enough to be obscene, yet the woman seemed to be able to turn and swirl without bumping into him.

  “The tango is so beautiful to watch, isn’t it?” Johnny murmured. “Especially if it’s done right. Look at that. He holds her like he owns her, and he does because he’s the master and she’s his slave. Yet he gives her a little room and she’s a spitfire, following his steps.”

  Lily didn’t want to hear about masters and slaves. “You’ve just made me dislike this dance,” she told Johnny, unable to hide the wry tone of her voice. “Shall we get back to business?”

  Johnny Chic shook his head, his eyes still on the couple out there. “You can’t dislike the tango till you actually dance it, Ambrosia, my dear. Ah, look, look! He’s definitely a good dancer. He controls his lady so well.”

  He gave a long sigh of pleasure and, squeezing the fingers of his hand together, he kissed the tips loudly, while his hips moved suggestively to the music. “Tell me, Ambrosia,” he added, “why are you here in person? Usually we deal through our couriers. You give me the information and I supply what you need, so this is indeed a surprise.”

  He stopped and turned toward her suddenly. Lily met his gaze squarely.

  “I’m passing through,” she said smoothly, “and needed this done as quickly as possible. Besides, I’ve heard about The Beijing Bombshell for a long time and wanted to check it out. It’s everything I’ve imagined.”

  He beamed at what he thought was a compliment. “It’s all about me,” he said.

  “Is that right,” Lily murmured rhetorically.

  “Oh, yes. Surely you already know, with your excellent sources, that my mother was imported from China by my Argentinian father?” His gaze narrowed a little as he questioned softly, “Don’t you?”

  She had to be very careful. She plopped down on the sofa and crossed her legs. His gaze slid down, following the movement of her hands as she smoothed the silk stocking. “Johnny,” she chided, “are you trying to test me? I don’t share information unless there’s a bargain, you know that. Now, I want my passports.”

  “And what is this hot information you will give me in return, besides the cash?” He took a few steps toward her. “You always give me some information to seal the deal, Ambrosia.”

  Her mind was careening wildly as she looked up calmly. She didn’t know that. She’d thought Amber had gotten the passports with just cash. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Amber dealt with information. Of course she would have used it as a means to get other illegal things, such as passports to help the girls.

  She didn’t have anything that she wanted to share with him. Certainly not about a sleeper cell on the loose. She stopped the maniacal laugh that rose at that idea.

  “I’ve heard,” Johnny continued, coming even closer, “about a secret weapon that everyone’s after. Have you heard of it?”

  Not that piece of info either. She wasn’t going to use that as a way to get the passports. Was she? “Of course,” Lily said. Ambrosia wouldn’t be able to deny knowing about this weapon if it was such hot news. Lily shrugged. “There’s nothing gainful about it till someone finds it. It’s lost or gone.”

  Johnny looked a tad disappointed. “I thought you might know more,” he said.

  “I will sooner or later,” Lily said, “and I can forward that information to you when I do. But I really need what I came for right now.”

  “They’re on my desk.”

  She got up, trying not to walk too eagerly. She hated the way he was looking at her butt as she headed toward the desk.

  “This package?” she asked, turning around. When he nodded, she added, “Can I check the goods out?”

  “Of course. They are the best out there, as you know.”

  She opened the box. Picking up the stack of passports, she counted them. And recounted. She turned to face Johnny again. “This isn’t the number I ordered. There are a few missing.”

  “Yes,” Johnny smiled. “That guy dancing out there offered me a great deal for four of them just before you
arrived. That’s all I have for you.”

  No way. She couldn’t leave without all the passports. “Then I’m not giving you all my money,” she said.

  Johnny shrugged. His eyes turned crafty. “Of course, if you would let me see whether you’re really blond all over, I’ll personally get R.C. to give you those passports. I can’t kill him, you understand. Bad for business. But you can negotiate with him.”

  Lily looked at R.C., and then she smiled. Messed-up head or not, she really felt good about fulfilling this urge to beat the crap out of Johnny Chic.

  * * *

  Reed swiveled his partner one last time. She turned, kicked one leg out, swiveled back into his body, and slid down the length of it as he deftly caught her weight in one arm while he leaned over her. The music ended. The crowd clapped enthusiastically, some yelling lewd suggestions.

  Reed looked down at Tess for a second. Her eyes half closed, she didn’t push away, as if she were still in the middle of the dance. He straightened, bringing her up slowly. The music had already restarted.

  “Supremo, darling,” T said, scarcely out of breath. She fluttered her eyelashes teasingly. “A girl would fall like a sack of potatoes for a man who can move like you.”

  They were just moving slowly to the music now. “She’s heading this way,” Reed said.

  T’s gaze didn’t move from his face. “On the other hand,” she said, “a girl would be easily devastated to know you’re looking at another woman while moving like that. It’s very interesting, though, how you seem to know that she’s near when there’s a crowd all around her.”

  He couldn’t explain it either. He had been watching for Johnny’s door to open even while they were dancing and was disappointed that it took the whole dance before Llallana reappeared. He hadn’t wanted her to…he quickly compartmentalized his thoughts. T was watching him way too closely.

  “What next when she’s here?”

  “Tell her no, whatever she offers, unless it’s the right offer, of course.” T’s expression shifted, turning serious. “If she does, you know what to do.”

  Then a flirtatious smile appeared and her face resumed its bold, come-hither look as she led him off the dance floor. The woman either guessed right or her timing was excellent, because she bumped right against Llallana Noretski. Reed suspected the latter.

  “Oh!”

  T somehow managed to pull him forward, using the momentum of their two bodies to knock Llallana off balance. The collision caused Llallana to stumble backward hard, and Reed reached out and curled an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. T, however, was still holding his other hand, and she followed his thrust forward. She swung into Llallana again, pushing into her target’s back and sandwiching her between them.

  It was like part of a dance, Reed thought, as he absorbed the combined force, closing his arms around the women for balance. Again, somehow, T was already stepping away and he found only Llallana in his hug. He looked down at her. Her upturned face, cushioned against his chest, registered a startled realization at where she was and then an awareness of their closeness.

  “Hey, watch where you’re going!” T yelled out in Croatian. “And find a man of your own!”

  He could have released her but he didn’t. “Are you all right?” he asked, his Croatian halting and a bit off-key, just the way he’d been practicing. “Sorry, I didn’t see you.”

  The dark eyes glared up at him. “Too busy with other things,” she said, in English. “I’ve to talk to you, R.C.”

  He liked the way she deliberately used his name. Of course that would get a gunrunner’s attention immediately. The music had gotten louder again and he could barely hear her, so he let her feel his surprise by tightening his hold on her. He noted that she didn’t try to move out of his arms. “Not too busy for you,” he said in English, and in one smooth turn, he had her back on the dance floor. “Care to dance?”

  “Hey!” T cut in. “What about me?”

  “Does she work here?” Llallana asked Reed, ignoring T as she put a hand on his chest to put some space between their bodies.

  “Sort of.” He slid his hand down to the hollow in her back, gently adding pressure. Her bare skin felt hot and smooth. “She’s been given to me to dance with tonight.”

  Llallana turned to T. “Johnny Chic wants you in his office. Right now.”

  “For what?” T stood there, hands on her hips.

  “I’ve bound him really, really tightly and he needs someone to undo all the knots,” Llallana explained in a sarcastic drawl. “He’s also not wearing any pants and I wouldn’t want any of his guys to walk in and embarrass him. You’ll make points with him if you go and help him now.”

  Reed glanced over at T. He could have sworn there was a tiny smile in those eyes. “You go, babe. I’ll make sure you get your tip tonight.” He turned back to Llallana. “Of course, if she goes, you’ll have to take her place.”

  When he’d seen her from afar that first time, he’d sensed something different about her. She’d impressed him with her alertness and, especially, the bold way she’d warned off danger.

  “I don’t take the place of anyone,” she said, leaning closer.

  Although he hadn’t recognized her in the photos in the GEM file, he’d gotten an impression of a woman who knew what she wanted. Now meeting Llallana Noretski up close, her vibrancy hit him like a wave. The careless way she tossed her head back as if nothing in the world bothered her. The challenging attitude, the boldness in her eyes, the small smile that was both mocking and amused.

  He was intrigued by the package she presented. Maybe he was intrigued because he knew more about her than she thought, or maybe she presented it because she needed his cooperation. Either way, he wanted to know whether it was just a façade. What was the real woman like inside?

  “I want to talk to you, not shout out every sentence. Can we go to a table?” Lily asked as she motioned toward the tables.

  Reed shook his head no. He had to wait for T’s go-ahead signal that everything was A-OK before he could start talking. It was easy to find distractions in a place like this, so everyone had agreed to let him play it by ear.

  He liked the way she felt in his arms. The music was a little slower than the song before, with a heady, melodic beat that was sensually inviting. She didn’t know the steps to the tango, but the way she subtly swayed against him was sexy, like a woman who had secrets to tell. He deliberately pulled her closer, then, inserting one leg between hers, he dipped her. He suspected in real life the woman didn’t like being kept off-balance, literally or figuratively, yet she allowed him to hold her that way for a few beats, her dark eyes flashing challengingly as she looked up at him. As he slowly straightened back up, he slid his hand from her neck down to her upper back, taking away her support and thus not allowing her to get out of position.

  It was a move most professional dancers used to show the mastery of one partner over the other, as the male controlled the female’s upper body. In a choreographed dance, the woman could use her arms and legs to express her emotions. She could curl one limb around her man’s leg to show a rebellious streak. She could hold onto the partner’s shoulders or lapels to signify a need for him. Or she could totally relax her entire body, flinging her arms out trustingly, and allow her master to do what he would.

  Because it was a dancer’s move, he expected Llallana to grab him out of instinct, like most people who didn’t expect the falling sensation would. Instead, she did all three—she took the leg that he’d trapped between his and curled it around one of them, her knee sliding up dangerously close to his balls, while at the same time she grabbed the opening of his light jacket with one hand and pulled hard enough that he had to bend lower or cause the both of them to fall down. Through it all she relaxed her entire body so that her back arched up to meet him, demonstrating amazing upper body strength on her part.

  Totally intriguing.

  He found himself staring down at the smooth silky expanse
of skin that sloped into gentle mounds. He could see her nipples through the dark, tight material. They were hard and erect, barely covered, and he had the sudden urge to bite on the top and pull it down to reveal them for his eyes.

  “Drop me and my knee won’t miss your family jewels,” Llallana said sweetly.

  Suddenly Amber’s laughter pierced through his focus on her. “That’s Lily all right,” she said, her voice coming so clear through the hidden listening device that he was sure her friend could hear her. “Oh, by the way, R.C., don’t forget she’s skilled in martial arts. She will kick you if you drop her.”Damn. He’d forgotten there was a mic on him. Reluctantly, he slowly straightened up, keeping her leg imprisoned, his hand gliding back up to the back of her neck. Her face was flushed and her eyes sparkled. Another time, another place, he would have finished this dance and they would be naked. The image of Llallana Noretski naked came too easily.

  Reed gave himself a mental shake. He shouldn’t have danced. It brought out too much of himself.

  “Now we’ll look for a table,” he said.

  They weaved around other writhing couples. She pointed to a booth in one corner and he nodded in agreement. T’s voice came through the mic as he headed in that direction.

  “Reed darling, she’s tied up Johnny Chic like a hog, with his pants in a knot at his feet. The man isn’t happy with her treatment of him.” T laughed huskily. “He swears, though, that he told her exactly what we wanted him to say, so you can do everything as planned.”

  Reed moved back to allow Llallana into the booth. Instead of sitting across from her, he joined her on the same seat. She turned to face him, her eyes glaring a warning now.

  He smiled at her for the first time. He was really enjoying the way her eyes were so expressive. Despite the cold, hard facts he had read about her, there was so much contradiction about this woman. He certainly couldn’t see any sign of the calculating woman who had led her friends into a trap. And she hadn’t given in to Johnny Chic’s sexual demands, which, for some reason, made him feel lighthearted all of a sudden.